Paper Heart (Blu-Ray)

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All Rise...

Judge Franck Tabouring has a heart of gold. Enough said.

Editor's Note

Our review of Paper Heart, published
December 1st, 2009, is also available.

The Charge

A story about love that's taking on a life of its own.

Opening Statement

Nicholas Jasenovec's Paper Heart is a charming little film about a
girl's journey to discover the meaning of love. I wouldn't go as far as calling
it a masterpiece, but the movie's comic touch and spark of romance certainly
make for an entertaining and often quite eccentric viewing experience. Paper
Heart was received well at the Sundance Film Festival where it also won the
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, but its following theatrical release was
unfortunately too limited.

Facts of the Case

Playing a fictionalized version of herself, American comedienne Charlyne Yi
embarks on a mission, traveling around the country to find out what true love is
all about. You see, Charlyne doesn't really believe in true love herself, which
is exactly why she decides to recruit her friend Nicholas Jasenovec and make a
documentary about what people from all over think about modern romance. Things
start to get a little tricky though when she meets Michael Cera, a charming
young boy who's after the one thing Charlyne doesn't seem to be able to give
away: her heart.

The Evidence

Paper Heart is what I call a cute comedy: a light, yet very
entertaining film that boasts plenty of energy, a bunch of solid laughs, an
interesting enough theme, and an eccentric cast talented enough to authentically
portray a couple of adorable characters. It is no surprise then that Charlyne Yi
really owns this movie. From the funny aspect of her often awkward posture and
character to her dry humor and overall cuteness, she knows exactly how to
entertain her viewers. Additionally, Yi co-wrote Paper Heart and
co-created (with Michael Cera) most of the film's music.

Although it's a fiction piece, the movie is structured much like a
documentary, with many actors reacting directly to the cameras surrounding
Charlyne. When she's not hanging out with Michael Cera, she travels around the
country interviewing married couples, best friends, scientists, kids, and even
romance novelists. Each of her interviewees have different perspectives on true
love and relationships, which Charlyne hopes will help her understand the
concept of love.

The second part of Paper Heart focuses more on her special
relationship with Cera, whose screen time is rather limited this time. That
said, he still manages to pull off a enjoyable performance that helps build some
of the film's more romantic atmosphere. Jasenovec's film is not necessarily an
enlightening experience, but as a simple movie following a rather insecure girl
trying to figure out whether true love really exists, Paper Heart is more
than satisfying. It follows a very creative formula of telling a story without
losing its realistic effect, and the result is by all means quite wonderful.

On Blu-ray, Paper Heart looks surprisingly awesome. The disc carries
a solid 1.78:1 widescreen transfer, and the high-definition image remains crisp
and sharp throughout. This is a film that occasionally boasts sequences with
strong colors, and it all looks great from start to finish. The Dolby TruHD 5.1
sound transfer performs just as nicely, making this one of the better Blu-ray
releases I've seen this year in terms of technical aspects.

The bonus material on the Paper Heart Blu-ray disc is loaded with
entertaining features. Besides seventeen funny deleted scenes, the special
features include eight interviews about love with comedians such as Bill Hader
and Paul Rust, a cute music video featuring Yi and Cera, and some of Yi's
eccentric musical performances. Also included are two hilarious featurettes.
"Paper Heart Uncut" is a collection of bloopers from the set, while
"Making Of" provides a better insight into how the film was shot. Disc
Two contains a digital copy you can easily transfer to portable media
players.

Closing Statement

Heartfelt and mostly artistic, Paper Heart is an original experiment
that deals with a universal theme but may appeal more to a younger audience. The
film is structured, written, and shot well, and Charlyne Yi's energy helps keep
the plot moving ahead at a solid pace. Whether or not you believe in true love,
this is a Sundance favorite I can only recommend.